Timing device



Oct. 8, 1940. R, w GQFF '2,217,440

TIMING DEVICE Filed July. 2a, 1938 ITK/enter Robert W. Goff,

Mamadou. s. 1940' PATENT OFFICE 'rnmNG DEVICE Robert w. con, Schenectady, N. Y.,'m1gnr u General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application July 28, 1938, Serial No. 221,789

4Claim My invention relates to timing devices, more particularly to such devices for controlling the closing of an electrical circuit after a predetermined time interval, and has for an o'bjeot the provision of a simple and reliable device of this character adjustable over a wide range.

The timing device of my invention is an improvement over the device disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,967,880 to Goff and Fleming, which issued on July 24, 1934, the novel features of my improvement being directed to increasing the operating life of the timer, to the provision of a simpler and more positive one-Way clutch mechanism therefor, and to the provision of a balanced l5 timing Weight which Will give substantially the same time interval of operation without regard to gravitational eifects on the weight when the device is tilted or its position changed.

While my invention has broad application to any system in which a time delay actuation of electrical contacts is desired, I prefer to illustrate it in connection with a sequencing relay used in starting two or more motors with a time interval between the starting of the respective motors for avoiding excessive voltage drop in a power line, such as would occur if several motors were simultaneously placed on the line. I have shown a magnet coil for operating a magnetic armature which is connected to arotatable shaft and arranged to actuate the line contacts of a first motor, placing it in the line, and simultaneously initiate the operation of the timing device which closes the contacts of another magnetic relay adapted to close the line contacts of a second motor, and, if desired, simultaneously initiate the operation of a second timing device for starting a third motor, and so on. v

For a more .complete understanding vof my invention, reference should now'be had to the drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a panel having a timing device embodying my invention mounted thereon; Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational View of the left side of the timing device shown in Fig, l; Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the right jside of the timing device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of a ratchet gear having its cover plate partly in section to reveal the details of a clutch mechanism therein; and Fig. 5 is a side View of Fig. 4 showing a section of the ratchet\ gear taken through the center thereof.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown my invention in one form as used in connection with a sequencing relay for starting motors in a sequential order, the particular system of mo- 38 for moving the actuating lever 39.

tor starting forming no part of my present invention, my invention residing solely -in improvements in the timing device in a manner as hereinafter described. Mounted on a. suitable panel I0, side by side, are a timing device I I, three contactors I2, I3, and Il connected in the circuit of a three-phase motor (not shown), and a cooperating solenoid I5 and magnetic a-rmature I6. Each of the contactors I2, I3 and Il, the timing device Il, and the plunger I6 is connected by the arms, such as I1 and I8, to a shaft I9 mounted for rotation on a support at each end thereof, the supports 20 extending from the panel III and carrying the shaft I9 in a parallel spaced relation thereto. At the end of the supports 20, 15 I have provided the half round brackets 2| for holding the shaft i9 on its supports. When the solenoid I5 is energized, the armature I6 is drawn into the solenoid I5 and is adapted to rotate the shaft I9 for closing the contacts I2, I3 and Il and simultaneously initiate the timing cycle of the timing device II in a manner to be explained more fully hereinafter.

Referring now to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the timing device II is shown comprising a frame 22 having the supporting legs 23 and 24 fastened by the bolts 25 to a base member 26 suitably a-ttached to the panel I Il, the bolts 25 being provided with the lock washers 2'l and the nuts 21'. Pivotally mounted on a bolt 28 projecting through the frame 22 and fastened on the other side by a nut 29 is an actuating lever 30 carrying a switching member 3| provided with a spring biased bridging member 32 having the contact tips 33 adapted to complete a circuit across a pair of fixed contacts 34 on the ends of the terminals 35. Pinned to one end of the actuating lever by means of a pin 36 secured by a cotter pin 3l is an actua-ting yoke 38 which is connected by spring means to the arm I'I on the shaft I9.

The connecting spring means may comprise a helical spring 39 disposed Within the yoke 39 having one end bearing on the bottom of the yoke and the other end attached to a rod 40 encircled by thespring 39 and projecting through the yoke 38 and the arm Il, the rod 4I! being adapted to compress the spring 39 against the yoke 38, when the arm Il is moved in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3. Gn the end of the rod 40 near the arm Il, I have provided a nut 4I against which the arm` I 'I will bear to transmit the force of its movement to the rod 40 and the spring 39, whereby the compression force of the spring 39is then exerted on the yoke ine other end of the actuating lever 30 is provided with a segmenta-l gear 42 which is meshed with a pinion 43 connected to a shaft 44 journaled in the frame 22 and projecting therethrough,

Rotatably supported on the shaft 44 at the other side of the frame 22, as shown in Fig. 2, is a ratchet gear 45 having cooperating therewith an escapement 46 which is pivotally supported on a pin 41 fixed to the frame 22 and extending therefrom. The ratchet gear 45 is annular in shape and carries in its interior, concentrically mounted a one-way clutch 48 (shown in Fig. 4), to be more fully described hereinafter, for transmitting the rotational force of the shaft 44 to the ratchet gear 45. Connecting the escapement 46 to a balanced oscillating weight 49, which is pivotally mounted on a supporting pin 5U extending from the frame 22, is an arm 5|, the oscillating weight 49 and the extension member 5| respectively being provided with the slots 52 and 53 so that a Jnbodily movable adjusting screw 54 may be secured in any position along the lengths of the slots. The relative positioning of the adjusting pin 54 on the member 5I, to which the pin 54 is secured by a nut, determines the arc through which the regulating weight 49 may oscillate under the influence of the escapement 45; the greater this oscillation the longer will be the time interval of operation, and vice versa. By moving the adjusting pin 54 very near the pivot point of the weight 49, the maximum time is obtainable, and by moving the pin 54 to the end of the slot 52 away from the center of the weight 49, the minimum time is obtainable.

As shown the arm 5| has a lateral portion 5|a at its upper end connected to the escapement 46 by the screws 5|', the body portion of the arm being spaced from the escapement 46 and extending in parallel relation therewith and with the balanced weight 49. It should be noted that the pin 41 which forms a bearing member for the escapement 46 extends outward from the escapement 46 and through a bearing aperture in the upper end of the body portion of the arm 5| so as to act as a bearing for the arm 5I as well as the member 46. The additional bearing support offered by the pin 41 to the arm 5I greatly reduces the bearing wear at the escapement46which would otherwise occur if the pin 41 extended through the member 46 only, because of the leverage afforded by the arm 5|. Since the timing feature of the timing device is intimately related to the action of the escapement 46, and since undue Wear at bearing of this part quickly reduces the operating life of the device, it is highly essential to minimize such wear.

Further to the end of increasing the operating life of the timing device and of making the time interval obtainable therewith independent of gravitational effects on the oscillating weight 49, I have separately mounted the weight 49 on the pivot pin 50 and have provided a weight which is carefully balanced about the pivot pin 50. By balancing the weight 49, a uniform inertia effect is provided whereby the timing device may be mounted for use in any position, and the timing interval originally adjusted for is not affected by the forces of gravity on the weight, i. e., the oscillation or pendulum action of the regulating weight 49 remains substantially constant for any given adjustment.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, the ratchet gear 45 is shown having provided therein the one way clutch 48 for transmitting the rotational forces of the shaft 44 in a predetermined direction to ratchet gear 45 for driving this gear and the escapement 46 during the timing interval. The end plates 48a and 48h are provided at either side of the ratchet gear 45 for enclosing the clutch 48 and having bearing apertures therein for rotatably supporting the ratchet gear on the shaft 44. Fastened on the shaft 44 and concentrically mounted for rotation in the ratchet gear 45 is a spider 55 which may have a series of projections 56 forming the cylindrical recesses 51 therein. Within the curved recesses 51, the clutch members or pawls 58 are loosely disposed and have sharpened ends projecting from the recesses 51 for engaging the clutch teeth 59 provided on the inner surface of the ratchet gear 45 when the spider 55 is rotated in a predetermined direction. The inner ends of the pawls 58 are circular to provide pivot supports in the recesses 51 and permit the pawls 58 to rotate slightly within the recesses 51 so that their projecting ends are moved outwardly by centrifugal force when the spider 55 is revolved in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4. To insure a more positive clutching engagement, each of the recesses 51 has loosely disposed therein a series of three identical pawls 58 in stacked or side by side relationship, at least one of which will be moved outwardly to engage the clutch teeth 59 upon a slight movement of the spider 55 in a counterclockwise direction as Viewed in Fig. 4. A plurality of pawls 58 assures engagement of the clutch 48 with very slight rotation of shaft 44. The pawls 58 are thrown out independently of each other and one or more ordinarily engages in response to movement equivalent to the width of a single tooth of the clutch 48. When the spider 55 is rotated in the opposite direction, the pawls 58 are moved free of the clutch teeth 59 out of engagement therewith, the cylindrical recesses 51 having Walls substantially greater than a half cylinder whereby the pawls 58 are secured pivotally in place. The spider 55 with its projections 56 is spaced slightly from the clutch teeth 59 to enable it to move without touching the ends of the clutch teeth 59.

In operation, the solenoid I5 may be suitably energized when it is desired to initiate the sequential starting of several motors. Energization of the solenoid I5 causes the armature I6 to be attracted for rotating the shaft I9 connected thereto in a ccunterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. Thereupon, the contactors I2, I3, and I4 are closed to complete the first motor circuit, and simultaneously the arm I1 of the timing device is moved downwardly, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3, to .tension the operating spring 39, the force of which is used to operate the timing device.

The spring force of the operating spring 39 is transmitted to the pivoted actuating lever 30 and segmental gear 42 for rotating the pinion 43 and shaft 44 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3. By means of the one-way clutch 48, the rotational force of the shaft 44 is transmitted to the ratchet gear 45 whose movement is restricted by the escapement 46 which cscillates back and forth at a rate determined by the rate of oscillation of the balanced weight 49. The oscillating weight 49 is then driven back and forth and provides a positively operated time delay for the operation of the contacts 33. After a definite time interval, the bridging contacts 33 snap-close the circuit across the terminals 35, the segmental gear 42 having travelled completely across the piniontoapointwherethcgearteeththereon arc omitted. v

Closure of the circuit (not shown) by bridging the terminals Il may cause another solenoid similar to solenoid Il to be energized forclosing the contactors of a second motor and for initiating the timing cycle of another timing device for operating another solenoid and the contactors of a third motor, and so on. In this manner, a large bank of motors may be started, each after a definite time interval from the starting of the previous motor, thereby loading the line very gradually without an excessive voltage drop.

As soon as the solenoid I5 is deenergized, the armature Il drops out and rotates the shaft Il for opening the contactera L2, I3, and il and for resetting the timing device I l through movement of the arm i1 back to its original posi- 20 tion, the bridging contacts 33 likewise being opened for breaking the secondary circuit which was subjected previously to timed closure. Thereafter, the timing cycle may be again initiated by energizing the solenoid I5. In order 25 to adjust the timing device Il to provide a timing interval of diiferent duration, it is necessary only to move adjusting pin 54 to the desired position in the slot ll of the extension member 5|.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention. it will be understood of course that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I therefore contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

i. A timing device comprising a weight arranged to be oscillated, a ratchet gear, an escapement for said gear, a bearing member. forming a pivotal support for said escapement, an arm having a body portion extending in parallei'spaced relation with said ratchet gear and said escapement and having a laterally extending portion at one endsecuredto saidescapement, anextension on said bearing member forming a pivotal supportforsaid endo! saidbodyportlonofsaid arm, and means adjustably connecting the body porticnoisaidsrmtosaidweightiorvarying 5 the amplitude of oscillation of said weight.

2. A timing device comprising a balanced weight arranged to be oscillated, a ratchet gear, an escapement for said gear, a bearing member upon which said escapement is pivotally mounted, and an arm secured to said escapement 5 having a portion spaced apart from said escapement and pivotally supported on said bearing member arranged in adjustable connecting relation with said weight for varying the oscillation of said weight from a predetermined 1f minimum to a predetermined maximum oscillation, the balancing of said weightproviding a uniform inertia eiiect whereby said timing device may be mounted in any of a plurality of positions without disturbing the timing of the oscillations of said weight by gravitational eiects on said weight.

3. A timing device comprising a balanced weight arranged to be oscillated, a bearing member on which said weight is pivotally supported, a ratchet gear, an escapement for said gear, a bearing shaft upon which said escapement is pivotally mounted. and an arm a portion of which is connected to said escapement and another portion of which is spaced from said escapement and is arranged in cooperating relation with said weight ior causing the oscillation thereof, said other portion of said arm being pivotally mounted on said bearing shaft at a point spaced from said escapement for preventing undue bearing wear at said escapement, said weight being positioned between said gear and said other portion of said arm.

4. A timing device comprising a ratchet gear, a shaft for said gear, an escapement for said 35 gear, a bearing member upon which said escapement ispivotally mounted, an arm having an end secured to said escapement and having a body portion extending in spaced relation to said gear and said escapement, an extension on said bearing member pivotally supporting said body portion of said arm to prevent undue bearing wear at said escapement, a balanced oscillating weight positioned in the space between said gear and said body portion of said arm, a separate pivot'shait for mounting said weight, and adjustable means connecting said weight and said arm and movable relative thereto for changing the amplitude of oscillation of said weight.

ROBERT W. GOFF. |51)4 

